Acetylene-generator.



F. JENKINS. AGETYLENE GENERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 19, 1909.

Patented May 12, 1914.

STATES ra'rnn'r ornion.

ALEXANDER, r. JENKINS, or BALTIMORE, yrnaYLAnD.

A'CETYLENE-GENERATOR.

Specification of :Letters Patent.

Applicationfiled November 19, 19.09,. Serial No. 528,930.

steam being supplied from any available source, or generated and suppliedby the apparatus itself, in such a manner that the gas will be made substantially in accordance with the demand for gas, so that the maintenance of-a large storage of gas, with its accompanying dangers, will be avoided.

The invention comprises the various combination and arrangement of parts which will be more fully described hereinafter and set forth with particularity in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawing/in which the figure represents a diagrammatic view of the invention.

Referring to the drawing, a generator of any approved construction is shown, consisting preferably of a gas tight casing 1 which has a filling opening 2 at the top to receive the calcium carbid 3 that is held in an inverted conical basket or holder 4 of reticulated material to allow the carbid to drop to the bottom of the casing in the form of powder under the action of the steam. The steam is supplied through a pipe 5 leading into the casing and carbid holder and terminating in the latter where it will act immediately on the carbid to generate the gas. As the carbid is consumed at the bottom of the mass fresh carbid will sink to the bottom of the holder in the region of the steam, this settling of the carbid taking place by gravv ity. The generated gasisf' conducted ofi' to vice 9 so connected that the gas pressure variations will open or close the valve 8 to increase or decrease the generation of gas 111 accordance with the demand. hen the demand increases the pressure at the generator will fall so that a greater volume of steam will be supplied to the carbid and increase the gas generation and when the demand decreases the opposite eflectwill be produced. It will thus be seen that operation is entirely automatic after being once adjusted for a given condition of service.

The apparatus may be used for locomotive headlights as acetylene will give a strong and brilliant light.

In this case the steam can be supplied fromv the locomotive boiler through a branch to the pipe 5 which con- ,tains a Valve 10 controlling the amount of steam passing to the acetylene generator. gVVhen the apparatus is used for train lightiing, the steam can be derived from the heat- ;ing system when the latter is in use. In the warm seasons of the year the steam must ibe generated by the apparatus itself. Therefore a steam generator 11 of the instant-anejous or flasher type is connected by a pipe 12 to the steam pipe 5. The valve 10 will of course be closed and the valve 13 in the pipe 12 opened. This steam generating device is heated 111 any suitable manner, as for instance, by a burner 14 that is supplied with gas from the pipe 6 to which it is connected. The steam generator 11 is connected with a source of water supply under a suitable presor pressure respon ve sure by means of a pipe 15 which has a check valvel6 arranged to open toward the generator. The quantity of water feeding to the generator 11 is controlled by a hand valve 16' so that no more steam will be made than is necessary to produce'the desired volume of gas.

In order to start the apparatus when there is no steam to be had from the pipe containing the valve 10 and there is no gas in the generator 1, the valves 13 and 16 are opened so that water will flow through the pipes 15 12 and 5 and enter the generator and react on the carbid. Gas will be immediately generated and the pressure acting on the device 9 will close'the valve 8 to cut off the flow of water. The burner 14 can now be started by supplving gas thereto from the generator and the burner will soon convert the water in the generator 11 into steam which. will fiOW. to the carbid when the pressure in the Patented May 12, 1914.

acetylene generator falls low enou h for the valve 8 to automatically open. A er being thus started the continued generation of gas will be effected entirely by the steam acting on the carbid.

It may be advantageous to regulate the supply of water automatically so that as illuminating lamps of the train lighting system are turned on or oil, the generation of acetylene will vary accordingly; that is to say, as more lamps are turned on more gas will be generated and as some lamps are extinguished less gas will be made, it being understood that the quantity of steam and also of acetylene-depends upon the quantity of water furnished the steam generator. To this end a regulating valve 17 is placed in the water supply pipe 15, which is operated by a pressure responsive device 18, such as a spring weighted diaphragm that is subj ected to the pressure of the gas in the service system or pipe 6, so that as the gas pressure falls, due to an increased consumption, the valve 17 will open further to increase the supply of water, and when the gas pressure rises the reverse operation takes place.

It will be apparent that the steam generating means is useful not only in summer time when steam cannot be derived from the heating system of the train because of the heating system being out of service, but the steam generating means can be employed whenever the passenger coaches are detached from the locomotive which is the source of steam for the heating system. Thus, if the coaches are disconnected from the locomotive in the night time when lights are required, it is merely necessary to open the water supply to the generator 11 and light the burner 14: so as to produce the necessary steam for generating the gas. Furthermore, the steam generating means may be used whenever a coach is detached from one train at a junction and is awaiting thearrival of another train to which it is to be connected. During this waitingperiod,the necessary steam for generating the acetylene gas will be delivered from the generator or steam boiler 11. It will thus be seen that gas can be generated for supplying the lights of a car without regard to the heating system being in operation. r

From the foregoing description,- taken in connection with the accompanying drawing,

the advantages of the construction and of the,

method of operation will be readily apparent to those skilled in the artto which the in-' vention appertains, and while I have described the apparatus which I now consider to be the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the, apparatus shown is merely illustrative and that such oeaeaa changes can be made, when desired, as are within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A lighting system of the class described comprising a gas holding generator, means for supplying steam thereto from a suitable source of supply, a steam generating means for supplying steam to the generator when the supply from the said source is interrupted, a burner supplied by gas from the generator for heating the steam-generating means, and means controlled by the pressure of the generated gas'for regulating the supply of steam from the said source or from the said steam generating means.

2. A lighting system for cars equipped with a steam heating system comprising a gas generator having means for holding carbid, means for supplying steam from the heating system of the car to the carbid, means responsive to the pressure of the generated gas for regulating the supply of steam to the generator, and steam generating means connected with the generator for supplying steam thereto when the supply from the heating system is interrupted.

3. A lighting system for cars equipped with a steam heating system comprising a gas generator having means for holding carbid, means for supplying steam from the heating system of the car to the carbid,

means responsive to the pressure of the generated gas for regulating the supply of steam to the generator, steam generating means connected with the generator for supplying steam thereto when the supply from the heating system is interrupted, said steam generating means comprising a heated passage in which water flashes into steam, a heater for'the said passage, and a conduit for supplying .water to the said passage.

4. In a system of the class described, the

combination of a gas generator,- a steam sup ply pipe for delivering steam thereto, acutoff valve in the said pipe, a second steam pipe for delivering steam to the generator, a cut-oil valve in the last-mentioned pipe, a steam generator connected with one of the said pipesf a heater for thesteam generator,

means for supplying water to the steam generator, and means responsive to the pressure of thegenerated gas for controlling the steam from either of the said steam supply pipes.

In'testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses. ALEXANDER F. JENKINS. Witnesses:

E. DELAHAY, A. THOMPSON. 

